Returning Fire
by finalfanaticgorm
Summary: A year has passed since the Lords of Nature defeated the forces of evil and peace has come to Gorm but not for long. Magor has returned and he has his sights set on getting revenge against Toby.
1. Prologue

Returning Fire

AN: This is yet another Gormiti fanfiction. It's set a year after the events of the Neorganic Evolution. Therefore Toby is 15, Jessica and Nick are 14 and Lucas is 13. Hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

In the year since the Lords of Nature had defeated Magor, Gorm had prospered. There was no longer any threat of invasion. To put it simply, Gorm was more peaceful than it had ever been before, but good things are never meant to last...

Deep within the bowels of Volcano Mountain (which had been dormant for the past year), something strange was occurring. Lava was moving at an alarming rate across the floor, piling up slowly to form a being, forming first the limbs, then the torso and finally the head. The being threw back its head laughing as lava burst from the crater of the volcano.

In the Temple of Light, Old Sage and Razzle were observing the events that were unfolding in Gorm. "Oh no!" Razzle gasped. "What are we going to do?"

Old Sage, as always, remained calm. "We must notify the Lords immediately." Glancing toward the four orbs, which were still not fully recovered from the numerous curses they had been under, he added, "They will need to be stronger than ever before."

Razzle gulped and returned his gaze to the screen, hoping the Lords of Nature would triumph this time.

Back in Volcano Mountain, Magor was summoning his plethora of minions; Magmion and Obscurio being among them. "Rise and serve your master once again!" He yelled as more and more Lava Gormiti appeared. Once all of them had returned, he addressed them, "My loyal followers, today is the dawn of a new era for Gorm. We will destroy, once and for all, Gorm and the Earth!" All the Lava Gormiti cheered loudly.

"Master, we will be honoured to follow your every command. We are your faithful subjects." Obscurio said, bowing in respect.

Magor, however, wasn't listening. He was swirling his hand around the portal he used to spy on the Lords of Nature. This time, though, his attentions were on just one of them.

"The Lord of Water?" Magmion asked puzzled. "Why is he important, Master?"

Magor turned, the flames on his body burning more brightly than usual. "Because, you fool, if it wasn't for him, we could be ruling over Gorm!" He practically screamed at an unsuspecting Magmion who flinched and hastily tried to amend his mistake.

"So you seek revenge, Master?" Obscurio guessed, frowning.

"Yes, and you two will help me get it. Failure will not be a option!" Magor said, staring into the portal. "Be careful, Lord of Water, you have incurred the wrath of Magor, and that bodes badly for you!"

Obscurio and Magmion both bowed as Magor turned to face them. "I require you to keep an eye on the Lord of Water. Find out if he has any weaknesses. Do not let him out of your sight, or you, too, will suffer in the fires of my anger!"

Magor left the main area of the volcano and used his powers to set off a massive eruption. Soon enough, the Lords of Nature would arrive to deal with the problem and Magor could deal his ultimate revenge on the Lord of Water.

AN: That's the end of the prologue. Let me know what you like about it in a review. Perhaps you have some suggestions for new chapters. Anything would be greatly appreciated :-)


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In Venture Falls, the Lords of Nature were sat in the Tripp's back garden, setting up a camping tent. They were, at the moment, blissfully unaware that they would soon have to defend their nations from evil once more.

Toby was now 15. Although he was still a happy-go-lucky individual, he had matured a great deal over the past year and only pulled the occasional prank to keep himself and his friends entertained.

Nick, his brother, was just a year younger now. He still remained the smartest member of the team but these days, he is not as eager to jump in and offer his knowledge, preferring to let his friends try. He and Toby have both matured to the point that their sibling rivalry only flares up occasionally.

Jessica was now also 14. She spent less time with her head in the clouds and more time thinking about Toby. She and Gina remain good friends as they still like to go shoe shopping on occasions. She is less obsessed with fashion, however, than she used to be.

Last but not least, Lucas was now 13. In terms of personality, he hadn't changed that much. The key difference was Gina. Thanks to the school dance (with some assistance from Toby), Lucas had finally realised his feelings for Gina and the couple had been dating ever since. Of course, that didn't stop from being obsessed with the environment.

The four friends planned to spend the night camping out in the back garden. However, it suddenly grew very hot and the sky turned a dark orange.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but that orange sky sure does look lava coloured!" Lucas said, pointing at the sky.

"You think Gorm's in danger?" Nick asked, also gazing up at the sky.

"There's no time to waste. We should transform now!" Jessica said, as the three boys ran off to collect their elements.

"Elemental energy of the water!"

"Elemental force of the stone!"

"Eternal power of the forest!"

"Endless flow of the air!"

Once they had all transformed, they used their medallions to gate to the Temple of Light, yelling, "For the power of the light!"

"Lords of Nature!" Razzle greeted. "Thank goodness you've come! Gorm is in danger!"

All four Lords had shocked looks on their faces as Old Sage decided to elaborate, "I'm afraid Razzle speaks the truth, young Lords. Magor is back and he has sent his soldiers to attack the Nation of Water."

"What?" They all gasped. It couldn't be possible, not after all their hard work. They exchanged determined glances; they had beaten Magor once, they could easily do it again.

"It's a good thing that the numbers are pretty equal." Lucas pointed out.

"Except the Water Gormiti weren't expecting this attack and, as a result, were massively unprepared for battle!" Razzle said anxiously.

"We have to help my people!" Toby said desperately. "Before it's too late!"

Old Sage used his powers to gate the Lords of Nature to the Water Nation, silently wishing them luck.

They landed and were, almost immediately ambushed by the Lava Gormiti. "Discs of the Forest!" Lucas yelled, firing wooden discs at the Lava Gormiti, knocking several of them out.

"Rock storm!" Nick joined in, also knocking out some Lava Gormiti.

Jessica flew up into the air. "Mind over wind!" She yelled, using her powers over the wind to knock the Lava Gormiti off their feet.

Suddenly the Lava Gormiti that were still standing all fired at Jessica who froze in mid-air, not having anywhere to escape to.

"Jessica!" Toby shouted. Not wanting to stay on the sidelines and do nothing, he moved forward. "Current Cannon!" A blast of water knocked out the remaining Lava Gormiti.

Jessica dragged herself to shore, having landed in the river. Luckily she was uninjured and she flexed her wings experimentally. "I'm alright." She gasped, a little winded from her fall. As the others ran towards her, none of them noticed that they weren't alone.

"It looks like we just found the Lord of Water's weakness." Obscurio said, his gaze fixed on the Lords of Nature. However he did not elaborate what that weakness was.

Magmion, understandably enough, was confused. "I don't understand!"

"Of course, you don't, you dim-witted brute!" Obscurio said, irate with anger. "Look yonder." He pointed in the direction of the Lords.

"The Lord of Air? What's she got to do with anything? I thought we were supposed to be finding the Lord of Water's weakness." Magmion was more confused than ever.

Obscurio looked as though he was seriously resisting the overwhelming urge to burn Magmion to a crisp. "You fool!" He hissed angrily. "She is his weakness!"

"Oh." Magmion said rather stupidly. "So what are we going to do?"

"We must consult our master. Come, Magmion!" Obscurio commanded, before he and Magmion disappeared in a burst of flames.

Lucas turned and gasped, seeing the flames. They all ran towards the flames as they dissipated.

"Well, whoever or whatever was there is gone now." Nick pointed out. "I wonder what they were doing there."

"Think later. We've got company!" Toby said, moving forward into a defensive position but the "company" was only Ballistor, a Water Gormiti.

"Lords of Nature, thank goodness you are here!" He greeted them exhaustedly. "We are in desperate need of your help."

"Any help we can give, we will." Toby promised. "What's happening?"

Ballistor pointed down the river. "The Lava Gormiti have been attacking us with a vengeance. We had no chance to prepare. Many of us are injured. It is unlikely that we will win this battle without help. They have been attacking us relentlessly and seem more powerful than usual."

"Well, then it's time the bullies got a taste of their own medicine!" Nick said as they all raced downstream to help the Water Gormiti in their battle.

AN: That's the end of the chapter! Don't forget to review because you know how happy they make me :-) I hope you enjoy this fanfiction as much as my others.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been having family problems. Please remember to review and thanks to everyone who's read my fanfiction. You guys are the best, as I've mentioned before.

"Master, I've found it!" Magmion burst rather unceremoniously into the main area of the volcano.

Obscurio followed in a more dignified manner, shaking his head at his colleague's rash behaviour. "Master, we have discovered the Lord of Water's weakness." He announced.

Magor did not turn away from the portal nor did he speak, but his mannerisms clearly said, "Well, what have you found?"

Obscurio opened his mouth to reply, "Well-" but Magmion interrupted.

"It's the Lord of Air! She's his weakness!" He yelled, earning himself a glare from the Lord of Darkness.

Magor turned and looked at them. "The Lord of Air, hmm? Interesting." He then returned his gaze to the portal, this time focusing on the Lord of Air. He watched as one of his soldiers fired a lava blast at her and the Lord of Water leapt in front of her, deflecting the attack with a blast of water.

"Ah yes." He started laughing evilly, Obscurio and Magmion joining in after a while. "I see." He waved his hand across the portal and a small fog cloud rose out of it.

"What is this, Master?" Obscurio asked, staring at the cloud.

"It is a spell that will render the Lord of Air's powers useless, making her easier to incapacitate and thus take as a hostage. I command you to use it when you next cross paths. Soon the Lord of Water will regret ever igniting my fury!"

Magor handed the spell to Obscurio who bowed respectfully. "The Lords are at the Water Nation. Go there and bring me the Lord of Air...alive, of course."

The two henchmen nodded and left, Magmion astride Cerberion and Obscurio flying alongside, Magor's evil laughter echoing in their ears as they did so.

In the Water Nation, the Water Gormiti, heartened by the arrival of the Lords of Nature, were putting up a terrific fight against the Lava Gormiti attack. However they were still massively disadvantaged and there were more injuries on their side.

"Lightning Bolts!" Jessica quickly dispatched a Lava Gormiti that had had a Water Gormiti cornered.

"This is a really tough battle," Lucas commented. "Jungle Attack!" Using his vines, he successfully knocked several Lava Gormiti off their feet.

"Give it up, Lords of Nature! The Nation of Water is doomed!"

Nick looked up and saw Magmion and Obscurio. "What are these hotheads doing here?"

Jessica flew up, "I don't know, but I'll take care of those two. You guys focus on helping the Water Gormiti." Gathering energy in her hands, she hurled it at Magmion and Obscurio, yelling "Energy Blast!"

Meanwhile Nick, Lucas and Toby focused their attentions on the battle, each of them taking out several Lava Gormiti with their various attacks.

"Obscurio! Use the spell now!" Magmion yelled upon seeing Jessica flying closer towards them.

Obscurio obliged, holding out the cloud of fog. "O, fog of darkness, in this hour, spread now and absorb much power!"

The cloud of fog grew in size until Obscurio could physically no longer hold it. When that happened, he hurled it at Jessica who tried to dodge but the fog surrounded her before she had a chance to move.

Lucas looked around as one of the Lava Gormiti fired a blast directly at Jessica. "Jess, look out! Behind you!" He shouted, waving frantically.

Jessica tried to fly out of the way of the oncoming blast but she couldn't move; the fog was preventing her moving. As a result, she was hit by the blast at full force and fell to the ground unconscious.

Magmion and Obscurio flew down to her. "Lava chains!" Magmion yelled, tying her up so she would not be able to escape. They then placed her on Cerberion's back.

Toby looked round and saw them with Jessica, "Get away from her!" He yelled,beginning to run towards them, Nick and Lucas close behind.

"Cerberion, now!" Magmion yelled. The twin-headed Ancient Guardian of Darkness rose into the air, taking Magmion and Jessica along for the ride.

"Aqua Blast! " Toby repeatedly fired jets of water at them but Magmion deflected them with his lava spheres attack.

"Fool," Obscurio laughed cruelly. "Did you honestly think that would work?" Toby's expression was one of pure rage.

"Come on, guys, let's use our medallions!" He yelled. "Aim up there!" The three remaining Lords looked up towards the sky.

"Vortex of Water!"

"Vortex of Sand!"

"Vortex of Leaves!"

The combined attack swirled around Magmion and Cerberion but it wasn't powerful enough to bring them down. Obscurio flew up to join them, "What a shame, Lords."He said in a commiserating tone, before turning to Toby, "Magor has plans for your little 'friend'." They then disappeared from view.

"Jessica!" Toby and Lucas yelled together, staring at the sky as though hoping she would come flying out of a cloud, completely fine. When she didn't, however, Toby angrily punched the wall behind him and glared in no particular direction. He had never felt more useless in all his life.

Nick, meanwhile, was confused. "I don't really like Magor's gameplan," he began. Upon seeing Lucas and Toby's questioning, albeit angry,stares, he elaborated, "I mean, why go to the trouble of attacking one nation and then kidnapping the lord of another?"

"You're right," Lucas agreed. "It doesn't make sense. None of this fits!"

Toby, who had remained relatively quiet, suddenly spoke, "I'll tell you what does make sense; rescuing Jessica from those lavaheads!"

Both Nick and Lucas glanced at each other uncomfortably; Toby seemed to be taking Jessica's abduction worst of all. "Okay then. First stop-the Temple of Light!" Lucas said. Due to their orbs now being in their rightful places, they could now gate to the Temple of Light, even if one or more of them were not present.

"For the power of the light!" They yelled together, feeling the familiar sensation of light surrounding them as they disappeared, each of them hoping that they would soon have the answers they sought.

AN: I apologise if this is absolutely terrible. I can't plan to save my life so everything just comes from inside my head. If this impresses you, or you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know in a review. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nick, Lucas and Toby arrived at the Temple of Light, Toby's fists clenched in anger and Nick and Lucas exchanging worried looks. They both knew that Toby was the most impulsive of them all so they would have to keep their eye on him.

"Lords, unfortunately we are aware of the situation that brought you here." Old Sage announced solemnly.

"What does Magor want with Jessica?" Nick asked curiously.

"Yeah, what was the point in attacking the Water Gormiti if he wanted the Lord of Air?" Lucas added.

"I'm afraid only Magor knows the answer to your questions, but until we know more about why he has taken Jessica, we cannot act." Razzle informed them, before cowering under Toby's glare.

"What?" he yelled. "You mean we can't go and rescue her! Who knows what those creeps might be doing to her!" He folded his arms and stared at the floor, trying to keep his anger in check. Nick and Lucas looked at each other; it was imperative that they kept an eye on him now, in case he did anything reckless.

"Magmion, Obscurio, I congratulate you." Magor greeted as they arrived, Magor carrying a struggling Jessica. She had regained consciousness during the flight and was trying her hardest to get free, but to no avail.

"Hold still, you!" Magmion yelled, about to hurl flames at her but Magor launched flames barely an inch from his feet and he gulped, before extinguishing the flames in his hands.

"Now, now, we don't want to kill her yet." Magor chuckled evilly. "We should have some fun with our most honoured guest, don't you agree?"

All three of them leered at Jessica who tried harder than ever to escape her bonds but it was useless. She was absolutely powerless against them and whatever they were planning to do to her, she would be helpless.

Vision (Toby's POV)

I'm in Magor's lair and...wait, is that Jessica? It is! What are they doing to her? I leap behind a rock wall so I can see what's going on.

"We should have some fun with our most honoured guest, don't you agree?" I don't even want to think about what he might mean by "fun." If only this wasn't a vision; I could kick their faces in, save Jess and get out of this place.

They approach her, backing her into a corner. My hands unconsciously clench into fists as I seriously restrain the urge to punch something. I've been doing that a lot lately.

"Why are you doing this?" Jessica asked, a slight tremor in her voice. If only I could help her!

Magor feigns confusion. "You mean to say you don't know why you are here?" he asked. "You see, thanks to your precious Lord of Water, we spent a year in exile when we could have been ruling over Gorm! So I sent Magmion and Obscurio to find his weakness."

Jessica shifts slightly and I can tell she's angry and confused. "What's that got to do with me?"

Magor is shaking his head as though she had just asked him why one times one equals one. "My dear, hadn't you noticed? You are his weakness. He has strong feelings for you, you see. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was already on his way to rescue you. When he does-" He hurls flames at the wall near her and she flinches slightly. "Be warned; if he doesn't surrender to us, you will suffer the ultimate punishment!"

"No!" She screams, sounding absolutely terrified but not for herself, for me. I feel myself growing faint as the vision ends.

End of vision (still Toby's POV)

That creep! He kidnapped Jessica to get to me! When I next see him, I'll do more than stop him from taking over Gorm! There's no way I'm letting him kill her!

I stalk over to a portal that is glowing with an orange light. Peering inside, I see that it leads to Volcano Mountain, directly to Magor's lair. I glance around; the suppressed logical part of me wants to wait for Nick and Lucas but the impulsive part of me wins out.

I climb onto the ledge, looking over my shoulder at Nick and Lucas. "Sorry guys," I murmur. "But if I don't do this, he's going to kill her! Please understand, I have to do this alone." I take a deep breath and jump into the portal without a second thought.

Normal POV

Nick and Lucas were discussing what their plan of action should be, when Razzle suddenly called out, "Where's Toby?"

They were both suprised. "What do you mean?" Lucas asked confused. "He's right-" He looked to his left and saw that Toby was no longer there. He looked frantically at Nick who stared back, looking just as scared.

"-Next to us." Nick finished lamely.

The small dinosaur scurried toward some portal of some description. "Someone's activated the Destiny Portal!" He cried out. Nick and Lucas rushed over and saw a portal that was glowing with an orange light.

"What's the Destiny Portal?" Lucas asked.

"It's a portal that transports the user to wherever they are destined to be at a given time." Nick replied easily.

"Well, by the looks of this, it looks like Toby is destined to be in Volcano Mountain!" Razzle told them, looking shocked.

"So it's our destiny to join him there!" Lucas said as he and Nick climbed onto the ledge of the portal. Razzle looked positively horrified.

"You-You can't! It's too dangerous! You could end up anywhere!" He warned, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"They'd do the same thing if the situation was reversed," Nick pointed out. "We have to do this, Razzle. We owe it to Toby and Jessica."

With that said, both Nick and Lucas leapt into the portal, not having a clue where it would take them. Razzle shook his head, "Oh no!" He said. He scurried away from the portal. "Be careful, Lords!"

AN: That's the end of another chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to update the next one because I really do need to finish off my homework but I'll see what I can do.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nick and Lucas landed, both of them dizzy from spinning around the magical equivalent of a tumble drier (aka the Destiny Portal). Immediately they realised that something was wrong; instead of seeing lava, they saw trees and leaves.

"Well, this isn't Volcano Mountain." Lucas pointed out. Nick gave him a "you just had to state the obvious" look. However Lucas wasn't fazed. "How are we supposed to help Toby rescue Jess if we're nowhere near where we need to be?"

Nick looked thoughtful. "Wait...that's it!" Lucas gave him a "are you going to tell me what you mean because I'm telling you, buddy, I don't have a clue" look, so he elaborated, "Think about it, the Destiny Portal takes the user to where they're destined to be. We're obviously destined to be here, which means that whatever Toby has to do, he has to do it alone."

Lucas protested, "But-" seriously confused by the whole situation. Nick sat down wearily. For now, there was nothing for them to do except wait.

Toby winced as he landed rather painfully on some rocks. Observing his surroundings, he grinned, "Right on target! The landing could use some work though." His instincts told him to stick to the main path so he headed in that direction, guard up so he couldn't be taken by surprise. However he didn't notice the Lava Gormiti soldier carefully positioned behind a nearby rock wall, nor did he notice said soldier running off to inform Magor.

Magor, Obscurio and Magmion were advancing on Jessica who had tears of pain, frustration and desperation running down her cheeks. She screamed and begged for mercy as the blinding pain filled her once again.

"My Lord!" A Lava Gormiti soldier came rushing in, panting for breath. Magor looked at him and nodded, indicating that he was permitted to speak.

"The Lord of Water has entered the volcano and is on his way here. I saw him with my own eyes!"

Magor smiled evilly. "Excellent. Just as I planned."

Obscurio stepped forward. "Should we raise an army, Master?" he asked.

Magor spun round to glare at him. "Against one Lord of Nature? I was beginning to think you were the smart one here!"

"But-" Magmion pointed to Jessica, who was unconscious after suffering at the hands of the lust-filled Lava Gormiti.

Magor chuckled. "Don't worry, she shouldn't cause us any problems now!" He assured his fellow Gormiti. Magmion nodded and left, followed by the rest of the Lava Gormiti, Obscurio and Magor bringing up the rear. This was all part of their plan.

Toby ran down the main path, hoping that he wasn't just running aimlessly. All of a sudden, he came around a corner and saw her. The first thing he noticed was that she was unconscious. The second thing he noticed was the crimson stains surrounding her and on her body.

"If they've done to you what I think they've done, then I will not hesitate to make them suffer for what they did!" He told her, tenderly taking hold of her limp hand. She was alive but she had lost a lot of blood and, as a result, was weak.

"Toby?" Jessica's voice was weak. Her head spun as her vision cleared and he came into focus. "Y-You came." She collapsed against him, no longer able to sit upright.

He gently took her hands in his own. "Of course I came back. I l-" He said, staring at her with many emotions, one of which was love. Jessica felt a sob welling in her throat as all her memories of the past day came rushing back. She was his weakness. If Magor found him now, he would-No! She couldn't let-she wouldn't let that happen!

"You need to leave now please!" She begged him, desperately pushing at him. Couldn't he see it was too dangerous for him to be here?

He turned to stare at her with a look that reminded Jessica why she was so deeply in love with him. "You're coming with me! There's no way I'm leaving this place without you!"

Jessica sobbed. He would live and die for her, but she couldn't let him condemn himself. "Toby...please..." she choked out as the tears began falling once again. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, holding her in their protective embrace, making her feel safe and secure.

He kissed the top of her head. "You don't understand," he explained. "I-I can't leave because-because" His voice dropped slightly in volume. "Because I love you."

"What a delightful show!"

Both Toby and Jessica looked round and saw Magor, along with Obscurio and Magmion. Toby stood protectively in front of Jessica. He was not letting them anywhere near her.

Magor moved forward. "I didn't think my plan would work so well, even if it did not go entirely the way I desired. You see, Lord, the plan was to kill your soulmate over there and then destroy you as you wallowed in grief. But you arrived here before we could finish her off."

Toby glared at Magor,unconsciously shifting in front of Jessica, as if to block her from the Lava Gormiti's sight. "You dare touch her again and I'll make you pay!"

Magor chuckled in that evil "don't make me laugh" tone. "Fret not, however, I have a proposition for you." He gestured to Jessica who was cowering behind Toby, clutching his arm in order to stay on her feet. "If your precious soulmate agrees to stay here and bear our future heirs, I will allow you to leave this place unharmed."

Jessica let out a sharp cry of shock and buried her face in Toby's shoulder. "What happens if we refuse?" Toby asked bravely, already knowing and dreading the answer.

Magor's answer was simple. "You both die." He then turned so he was facing away from them. "I am, however, not completely merciless. I will give you three days to make your decision."

The look Toby was giving him clearly said "you're nuts if you think we're going to do what you say." Magor waved his hand and said calmly, "Release!" Immediately Jessica's bonds loosened and she collapsed rather gracefully into Toby's arms.

"Stand down!" Magor ordered his soldiers as Toby turned to leave, carrying Jessica in his arms. "Remember, Lords," he called after them. "You must return here with your decision made in three days."

Toby tried to ignore the ringing of Magor's evil voice in his ears. He looked down at Jessica who had cried herself to sleep. It was perhaps lucky that she was, literally, the weight of a feather, otherwise he would have found carrying her very difficult.

As they were about to exit the volcano, Toby felt the familiar sensation of being swept up by a beam of bright light. He held on to Jessica tightly, not wanting to let her go. "Don't worry, Jess, we'll find a way. I promise." He told her as the light teleported them up.

"Seriously, Lucas, will you stop pacing?" Nick snapped, giving Lucas the "if you weren't my friend, I would amputate your legs" look.

Lucas stopped moving but started bouncing on the balls of his feet. Upon seeing Nick's glare, he gulped. "I can't help it! All this waiting around-who knows what's happening to them?"

Suddenly a beacon of light surrounded them. "Well, it looks like we may be about to find out." Nick said as their vision was obscured by blinding-white light and they were beamed skywards, hoping that the answers they sought were up there.

AN: This has to be the darkest chapter I've ever written. Please review and tell me what you like. It will make my day! A bit of warning. From this coming week onwards, I will only be able to update at weekends. Sorry for any inconvenience!


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

AN: This chapter won't be as dark as the previous one but hopefully it will satisfy you, dear readers.

When the light cleared, Toby saw Nick and Lucas. He ran over to them, still carrying Jessica who had woken up but was still weak.

"I-I can explain," he began, upon seeing their expressions. "I had to do it alone. I'm sorry but try to understand."

Nick looked like he wanted to say something in response but Lucas interrupted, "We understand, Toby, but you should have told us what you were planning to do. We were worried about you." Toby ducked his head, feeling guilty for causing his friends to worry.

"So how is she?" Nick asked, gesturing to Jessica. Toby closed his eyes, as Magor's proposition made itself present in his mind. "Toby, what is it?" Nick probed his older brother for answers.

"There's something you guys need to know." Toby mumbled, looking at Jessica who nodded weakly, before sitting up slowly. "Magor made a proposition; he'll forget about my role in banishing him if-" he looked up and saw his friends exchange guarded glances, they knew just as well as he did that it wouldn't be anything good. "If Jessica agreed to stay there and bear their future heirs."

Both Nick and Lucas let out sharp cries of shock, turning to stare at Jessica who was quietly sobbing. Toby looked pretty down too; just the thought of Jessica in Magor's clutches for the rest of her life made him feel as confused as it was possible to feel, as well as undeniably angry. He loved her and he was not giving her up without a fight, no matter what it took he would save her from this situation.

"I'm guessing Magor's given you some time to make your decision." Lucas deduced, trying to diffuse the tension slightly.

"We wouldn't be here if he hadn't," Toby pointed out miserably. "He's given us three days. Three days to decide whether we both die or both live and never see each other again!" His voice cracked as he sounded like he was about to cry. He dropped his head in his hands and sobbed quietly.

Nick and Lucas, understandably enough, were shocked. After all Toby never got upset or mad at anything. In fact, when Nick thought about it, he couldn't remember having ever seen Toby cry before. It was then that he, along with Lucas, realised just how deeply Toby loved Jessica. They had no idea how much pain he was suffering at the mere thought of having Jessica taken away.

Toby, meanwhile was confused. He had just remembered something that Magor said to him, and he didn't understand what it meant. "Guys, Magor said something to me while we were there. He said that Jessica and I are soulmates. Do you have any idea what he meant?"

"I may be able to help you, Lord of Water." Old Sage had appeared from nowhere. He glanced down at Toby who looked slightly sheepish. "Razzle told me what happened." Upon seeing Toby's dismayed look, he added, "I do not blame you. Love is a powerful thing indeed, young Lord. You and the Lord of Air are truly blessed to share such a pure bond."

Toby glanced around before asking hesitantly, "So what does that mean, exactly?"

Old Sage looked at him steadily. "Well, young Lord, soulmates are two beings whose love goes far beyond comprehensible bonds. They are stronger together than they are apart. As you may also be aware, some soulmates have a bond so strong, they can bring each other back to life if need be."

Lucas spoke up, suddenly curious. "So does that mean that we'd have to be with our soulmate?" he queried. "We wouldn't be able to be with anyone else?"

"Not necessarily," Razzle answered. "It isn't essential for soulmates to stay together. They can take other conquests if they wish. However they will always feel empty, like a part of them is missing, and their power would be weakened."

Toby looked at Jessica. The thought of being with anyone else but her horrified him and made him feel strangely empty. He knew, in that moment, that he would not take any other "conquests," as Razzle had put it. At least now he understood why he cared so deeply for Jessica. Even when they were children, they were extremely close. Due to them both having blonde hair and blue eyes, everyone thought they were related, despite their hair being different shades. He found himself reminiscing one of his early memories.

Flashback (Toby's POV)

I arrive at the playpark and eagerly scan the area for Jessica. Every Saturday, we head off to the park together. Nick and Lucas had already left to play football. Jessica always brought her friend Gina along so when I saw Gina, a wide grin appeared on my face. However when no Jessica appeared behind her, the smile disappeared as fast as chalk being wiped off a blackboard. I approach the dark-haired girl at a run.

"Gina, where's Jessica?" I ask, thinking perhaps they are playing a trick on me. In which case, it isn't a very nice one.

"Oh, hello Toby, nice to see you too!" Gina replies sarcastically. I give her a weird look and she sighs, "Jessica's got the flu so her mum said she had to stay at home."

My face fell. Now what was I supposed to do. How was I supposed to beat her at marbles if she wasn't here to play? I could ask Gina to play but she's already left to find Lucas and Nick. Besides she's nowhere near as good at marbles as Jessica.

I flopped onto my back, staring at the clouds in the sky. I found six shapes before I found myself feeling very miserable. Finding shapes in the clouds was Jessica's favourite game and it made me miss her. Now what was I supposed to do?

Suddenly my gaze fell on a rose bush. Jessica constantly told me every time we walked past that bush that roses were her favourite flower. "Of course!" I exclaim. Why didn't I think of it before. I'll take her some of these roses. I'm sure she'll like them and perhaps they'll make her feel better!" I carefully break some of the roses off the bush before running to Jessica's house.

I knocked on the door. Jessica's mum answered it and peered down at me. "I brought these for Jessica," I explain, holding out the roses. "I really hope she gets better soon."

Mrs Herleins smiles at me as I try to hand the roses to her. "Thank you, Toby. Why don't you give them to her yourself. She certainly seems a lot better." She then called up the stairs, "Jessica!"

Jessica came down the stairs as quickly as she could. "Toby has something for you." Her mum gestures to me and I produce the roses from behind my back. Jessica's expression is filled with delight. She takes the roses carefully from me and inhales their scent. She then looks up at me and smiles.

"You brought these for me?" She asked.

I shifted uncomfortably. "I wanted to cheer you up and I know that roses are your favourite flower."

Suddenly she flings her arms around me, roses and all. "Thank you," she says, beaming with happiness. "That's the nicest thing you've ever done for me!"

I hug her back, glad I had made her happy. "Hey, what are friends for?" We both laughed.

End of Flashback (back to Normal POV)

Jessica smiled at Toby. "You were remembering the roses, weren't you?"

"W-What? How-How did you know that?" He stuttered, gaping at her.

"I was remembering it too." She told him simply.

All this made Toby even more determined to find a way out for Jessica. "I won't lose you." he vowed. He looked at her, desiring nothing else but to keep her safe from harm.

AN: Thank you all for reading my fanfiction. I truly appreciate your time and effort in reading my work, even if it isn't very good.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Magor stood in his volcano, a smirk on his face. Magmion and Obscurio were not aware but he had a plan to make the Lord of Air accept his proposition. The Lord of Water would not be able to protect her this time.

He moved silently and ran his hand across the portal. The lava inside started to churn and parted, revealing Venture Falls, more specifically the Tripp's house. He then took a shadow from the air and placed into the portal.

"Sweet dreams, Air Lord." He laughed cruelly as he stood to watch the coming events. "This will be ever so...amusing."

At the Tripp's house, Jessica, Toby, Nick and Lucas were finally setting up their camping tents. There were three tents; Jessica and Lucas would have a tent each and Nick would share the larger tent with Toby.

The four teens sat, blankets huddled around their shoulders, toasting marshmallows around the campfire. They were all trying to forget what they would have to do in the next couple of days. Thinking about it made it more real, and none of them wanted it to be a reality.

The sky was not yet dark but Nick turned to the others and said, "It's pretty cold tonight. Maybe we should get in our tents now." The sound of three sets of chattering teeth served as a reply.

Jessica began walking toward her tent when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Toby who was giving her a look of concern. "You sure you're gonna be alright on your own, Jess?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine. There's no need to worry." Toby, however didn't look convinced. Immediately she put her hands to her face and wondered if the worry and fear she felt within was clear on her expression. She cursed him for being able to read her so well.

"If you say so..." Toby said, hesitantly turning toward his own tent. Jessica began fiddling with the zip on her tent, trying to get it open. "Good night!" Toby calls.

"Good night." Jessica says softly as she entered her tent. She flopped onto the mattress, completely exhausted by the day's events. She laid her head on the pillow and hoped she would be able to get some sleep without any nightmares interrupting her slumber.

Dream

Jessica woke up and saw that she was in Volcano Mountain. She wondered what she was doing there and stood up. Looking down, she spotted crimson stains on the floor and then heard yells of pain from someone who sounded familiar. Fearing the worst, she rushed toward where the screams seemed to be the loudest.

The sight she saw made her gasp. Magmion, Obscurio and Magor were there and they were doing something that made whoever they had captured scream with pain. Upon seeing Jessica, they moved away, revealing Toby. Jessica put her hand over her mouth in a soundless gasp; he was unconscious and countless wounds cluttered his body.

Magor approached her, smirking. "Welcome, Lord of Air, I hope you're enjoying the show!" He then hissed menacingly in her ear, "If you had obeyed me, this would not be happening!" Turning to Obscurio, he commanded, "Finish him!" with a careless glance. Obscurio obliged and moved toward Toby. In the next few seconds, there were two screams; one of pain and one of horror.

Jessica felt her vision become foggy. When it cleared, she was once again stood watching Toby being hurt. All of a sudden, Magor turned to her, "We'll leave him to you, our queen." She looked down at herself and saw that she was now a Lava Gormiti.

"Yes, my Lord," she crooned in a voice that was not her own. "It would be my pleasure." Inside, she was screaming. What was going on? Why was there a burning in her stomach?

"Make it enjoyable," Magor ordered. "Our son wants the light to leave the Lord of Water's eyes, and he wants you to do it!" Unconsciously, Jessica's hand drifted to her stomach. She looked at Toby and saw his pleading look.

The burning in her stomach became almost unbearable until Jessica screamed and hurled flames at Toby who was too weak to move out of the way. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore his screams of pain.

"Open your eyes, my queen," Magor told her, his fiery hand on her stomach. "Our son wants to enjoy seeing him suffer."

Jessica forced herself to open her eyes and watch as Toby's strength failed him. As the last vestiges of life left his body, he whispered, "Jessica, why?" before his body stilled completely.

End of Dream

Toby was laid, wide awake on his mattress. According to Nick's watch, it was 3am. He wondered whether there was any point in trying to get some sleep. All of a sudden, he heard a loud scream coming from Jessica's tent. Praising his decision to sleep on the mattress nearest the zip, he left the tent and headed over to Jessica's tent, her screams becoming louder.

Inside the tent, he saw her sobbing uncontrollably. He realised she must have had a nightmare; nothing else could have gotten her so wound up. "You okay?" He asked her gently, causing her to jump. Clearly she hadn't noticed that he was there. She looked at him and gave a skittish nod, which Toby knew very well meant "I'm not okay but I don't want you to worry about me so I'll lie and say I'm fine when I'm really not." He smiled and slowly backed out of the tent, intending to respect her privacy. He had no intention of asking her what her nightmare was about; she would tell him if or when she was ready.

However Jessica's sudden cry of, "No!" halted Toby in his movements. He turned and saw how terrified she was. Realising that she had his attention, she blushed "I-I only meant that-I mean you don't have t-to, but would you...stay with me?" She asked, not wanting to be alone anymore and wanting to ensure that he would still be alive first thing when she woke up.

For a moment, Toby didn't say or do anything and Jessica mentally berated herself for sounding so stupid so she opened her mouth to tell him that he didn't have to, when he suddenly crawled under the blanket and rolled so that he was facing her, his arms open.

She found herself wrapped in his warm embrace, crying all her tears away. He stayed silent, one of his hands rubbing her back and the other running gently through her hair. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the thump of his heartbeat. The sound soothed her and she found herself growing drowsy. In no time at all, she fell asleep, Toby soon following suit, his arms still holding her to him protectively.

AN: A dark nightmare and a cute romantic scene? I hope that will satisfy many of you! If you liked this chapter, let me know what you liked about in a review. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

AN: This is probably just going to be a cute, romantic chapter but we'll see how it goes. Hope you enjoy it!

Jessica woke up. Rolling over, she saw that Toby was still asleep. She smiled;he had stayed with her all night. However her smile suddenly faded as she remembered her nightmare. Before she could stop herself, the tears started flowing and she let out a choked sob, all the time thinking of how unfair it all was.

"Jess?" Toby asked sleepily, sitting up to look at her. "What's wrong?" Jessica felt guilty for waking him up. She tried to smile convincingly and wiped her tears away.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied, a little too quickly. "I'm absolutely fine." He looked at her sceptically and she knew, right away, that he didn't believe her.

"No offense, Jess, but I've known you since you were four. I can tell when you're lying." He informed her as she gaped at him. If he could tell when she was lying, then how could she make her decision without him finding out?

Despite the tense situation, Jessica found herself laughing "You know me all too well and you're right. I'm not fine and I'm not sure I ever will be."

Toby gave her a look that clearly said "your sense of humour must be really messed up 'cause I don't see how you find this funny." He sighed pointedly, letting her know that he wanted her to elaborate. However he didn't verbalise this want.

One of the many things Jessica loved about Toby is that he never forced her to tell him things if she wasn't ready. It had taken her almost two years to admit to the boys that she hated going underground. He also knew exactly what to do or say to make her feel better. She sat up slowly and turned to look at him. He stared at her and she blushed when he did not look away.

"You have no idea how beautiful you look first thing in a morning." He told her, smiling sincerely. Jessica gasped and playfully tried to push him off the mattress. The young couple wrestled with each other, trying to push each other off, when Toby suddenly got the upper hand by pinning Jessica underneath him and distracted her by kissing her. "I don't expect you to tell me what's bothering you, but I'll always be here if you need me." He punctuated each word with a kiss, his hands running through her hair.

"The nightmare..." she whispered, looking up at Toby with tears welling up in the sky-blue eyes he loved so dearly. "I saw you d-die t-twice! It was aw-awful!" By this point, she was crying again. Toby sat up, pulling her onto his lap and rocked her gently. "Shhh," he comforted. "I'm right here. I won't leave you, I promise." Jessica looked up at him and saw the love she felt for him reflected in his ocean-blue eyes.

"I-I don't think I can do this on my own, Toby." She confessed, and he wrapped his arms around her. In his embrace, she always felt as though nothing could ever hurt her. This time was no exception; he was her protector and she would always be safe with him.

"You don't have to, Jess," he whispered softly in her ear. "I love you; there's no way I'm letting you go."

She smiled through her tears and replied, "I love you too. There's got to-I just can't lose you." They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity until they heard Nick's voice.

"Are you two going to stay in there all day and let us eat all the food?"

Lucas added, "Enough kissing, lovebirds!"

Jessica and Toby both blushed an identical shade of crimson but neither of them made any attempt to move.

"We really should move, you know." Jessica said, reluctantly standing up then gasping as Toby swiftly pulled her back down.

"Yeah, but I don't want to." He whispers in her ear. "Can't we just stay here?" He sounded vulnerable as he spoke and Jessica hugged him.

"Come on, let's go." She told him and the two teens left the tent.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up!" Lucas said jokingly. "Seriously, Toby, I know you love her but Jessica isn't going to break if you leave her for two seconds!" He had meant it as a joke, but when Toby saw Jessica's smile wane, he shot a warning glare at Lucas, who shut up immediately, (Toby's glares could be really scary) and wrapped his arm around her.

As they tucked into breakfast (bacon, eggs and sausages), Nick rather unwisely chose to ask Jessica if she had thought about the decision: "So, Jess, have you given any thought to what choice you're going to make?"

The atmosphere might have dropped into subzero temperatures if Toby's "clearly the topic upsets her so why you would be so tactless to bring it up now, I don't know" glare was anything to go by. Jessica's face had paled and she had started shaking with sobs.

Nick immediately tried to amend what he had said, "I'm sorry, I just think it would be easier if you made the decision as soon as possible, that's all."

Jessica suddenly stood up and ran towards her tent sobbing. "Can't you at least try to be more understanding?" Toby exploded, angry that Jessica was upset. " This isn't a decision that can be made quickly like deciding whether you want jam or lemon curd on your toast! This is a decision that needs thinking about! She already feels bad enough without you adding to the burden!" When he had finished yelling, he left to find Jessica.

However, when he reached her tent, she was nowhere to be seen. He yelled her name a few times. Then, after venturing back inside the tent, he found a note with his name on, written in her handwriting. The note read as follows:

"Dear Toby,

I know you will be the one to notice my disappearance first which is why I addressed this letter to you. I also want to reveal to you my plans. I don't expect you to agree with them, but please don't try to stop me. My mind is made up.

I have decided to accept Magor's proposition. Before you start protesting, as I know you will be, bear in mind that this wasn't an easy decision. I would rather live and know you are also living than die and know that I was indirectly responsible for your death too.

All I want is to keep you safe. You're probably shaking your head right now. You think you should be the one protecting me. Aren't soulmates supposed to protect each other? It must be true because you have always had my back; this is just one of those times where you can't protect me anymore.

I'm sorry if I'm hurting you but I have to do this. I have to make the right decision, not the easy one. It would be so easy to refuse but I couldn't bear seeing you die. I know you wouldn't be able to cope with my death either.

I just wanted to say that, although I have made my decision, I will not go to Magor just yet. Meet me at the Venture Falls park at noon tomorrow.

I will always love you,

Jessica."

AN: So Jessica has made her decision. Do you think it's the right one? Will Toby be able to convince her to change her mind or will she end up regretting her choice? Don't forget to review and thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

AN: Sorry about lack of updates but I have an exam tomorrow so I've been revising all week. Well, here's the next chapter. Not sure how long it'll be but we'll see.

Toby walked towards the park, questions running through his head. He had told Nick and Lucas that Jessica had left because she felt unwell. As he approached the gates, the feeling of nervous anticipation rose up once more.

He scanned the park, looking for her and finally found her sitting on a bench. When she saw him, she waved him over. There was no one else there.

"Hey." She said softly, smiling at him.

"Hey." He replied, trying to smile back but it ended up looking more like a grimace, something Jessica noticed.

"Toby, I..." she began, wanting to explain her choice but he interrupted her.

"No! I just don't understand why you would choose to sacrifice your own happiness!" He sounded close to tears, almost desperate, which was definitely abnormal behaviour for Toby. Jessica approached and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not doing this because I want to! I'm doing it because I have no choice!" She exclaimed before her tone grew softer, "My only wish is that the children I bear could have been yours." She said, hanging her head sadly.

Toby took her hands in his. "They still can be. All you'd have to is refuse..."

"He'd kill us on the spot!" Jessica shouted, her eyes wide, but Toby shook his head.

"Not if we think of something first. We will think of something, I promise." He vowed, looking directly into her sky-blue eyes. "Come home with me and promise me you'll think about this some more."

Jessica looked up at him and nodded, her eyes glinting with tears. She didn't have a clue what to do anymore. Whatever choice she made would impact Toby. It wasn't fair! She didn't want to hurt him! Time was running out though. She had to make her decision and fast.

The blonde couple made their way out of the park, holding hands, before running towards the Tripp's house, trying to think about things that would distract them from the depressing choice Jessica was faced with.

Back at the house, Nick was feeling guilty. He felt it was irresponsible of him to put so much pressure on Jessica when she was already feeling bad enough. Suddenly a look of determination spread across his face and he marched to the phone, dialling Lucas' number. There had to be a way to save Jessica from her fate.

Lucas picked up on the third ring. "Hey, buddy, what's up?" He greeted but Nick had no time to reciprocate.

"I need you over here as soon as possible." He said quickly, making it clear that it was important.

"You're not going to tell me why until I come over, are you?" Lucas asked.

Nick shook his head before remembering that Lucas couldn't see and replied, "No."

Lucas' groan of disappointment generated a chuckle from Nick as he imagined what Lucas' face would look like at that precise moment.

"Are you laughing at me?" Lucas asked incredulously.

Suddenly the front door crashed open and Toby came stumbling through, followed by Jessica who landed in his arms. Both of them had flushed faces and were breathless with laughter. As they headed into the living room, Nick shook his head. Toby really needed to learn how to use doors. He stared at his brother and girlfriend and made a vow to find some way of saving them.

"Er, Nick, are you there? Hello?" Lucas' voice practically screamed out of the reciever, causing Nick to jump. In watching Toby and Jessica, he had become distracted and had forgotten Lucas was still on the phone. "Nick!" He shouted impatiently.

Casting a nervous glance towards the living room, he lifted the phone to his ear and said, "Just get here as soon as you can, okay." He said, before ending the call.

He turned toward the living room door and stretched out his hand to open the door but it opened before he even touched it. He saw Jessica walk to the fridge and grab two sodas. Before she could leave, he grabbed hold of her arm.

She started before realising who it was and turned, regarding him cooly. Nick suspected she hadn't forgiven him for practically forcing her to make a choice. "Look, Jess, I'm really sorry..." he began.

Looking really uncomfortable, she shifted, "You don't have to apologise, Nick." She told him, a slight smile on her face.

"Yes I do!" He protested. "I shouldn't have pressured you. I was just worried that the choice you made would hurt Toby."

She looked hurt. "You know I'd never deliberately hurt Toby!" She hissed venomously. "Besides I have a plan."

Nick stared at her, shock apparent in his features. "You do?"

Jessica nodded. "I'll accept his proposition." Nick immediately started to protest. "But after a couple of weeks, I'll revolt. That's where I'll need yours and Lucas' help. You'll need to get me out of there before he destroys me."

Nick shook his head, "That's kind of risky, Jess. Besides, does Toby know?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" She snapped heatedly, prompting Toby to enter the kitchen. He immediately took note of the tense atmosphere.

"Everything okay here?" He asked, concerned.

Jessica tried to arrange her features into a smile and said, cheerily, "Yeah, we're okay. Nick and I were just discussing whether..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Chocolate is better in cakes or not." Nick helpfully supplied and she enthusiastically nodded. Toby gave them a look that clearly said "I know that definitely wasn't what you were talking about but I am in no other position to think otherwise since I wasn't there."

As they left, thoughts swirled around his brain once more, slipping away before he could pin them down with words. He wanted to tell her so many things but he found himself unable to say anything.

"I won't let you down, Jess. I promise."

AN: So Jessica has a plan. Will it work? Find out in the next chapters. I really don't know when I'll next be able to update cause I've got homework to do over the weekend but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for being so patient and I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jessica looked nervously at her friends. She couldn't do this; everything was swirling around inside her head. "I feel sick." She mumbled and dashed to the toilet, her nerves getting the better of her.

The others watched her go, looking worried. Only Nick, however, knew the real reason why she was nervous. He hoped she had the courage to go through with her plan.

"Ready?" Toby asked Jessica as she came out, looking pale but determined. She nodded and took hold of her hand. A flash of light surrounded them, and as it cleared, Toby and Jessica had vanished.

"They are approaching, Master." Magmion informed, peering into the portal. Magor rounded on him angrily.

"I can see that, Magmion!" He snapped, smirking as they got closer to his territory. Soon the Lord of Air would be theirs to command; after all she would be a fool to decline his proposition.

Suddenly a Lava soldier came running in, panting breathlessly. "My Lord, two Lords of Nature have entered the volcano. Should we attack?"

Magor slowly turned toward the Lava scout. "And you think I cannot see this for myself? I have eyes!" He lashed out, before calming down, "No, let them in. Where are your manners? Invite our honoured guests in." The Lava soldier bowed and left, clearly thinking his master was a bit crazy.

Toby and Jessica approached the main chamber slowly. Just as they were about to walk in, Toby grabbed hold of Jessica. "Remember whatever happens, I will always protect you." He looked at her sincerely. "I-"

She held her finger to his lips, effectively silencing him. "The choice I make will not affect the feelings I have for you. Nothing could stop me from loving you, not even death. Still, I don't want you to grieve for me forever. Everything I've ever done, I did it for you."

"A goodbye speech?" Magor's voice cut in, laughing evilly. He approached Jessica who was immediately shielded by Toby. "So, Lord of Air, I have been awaiting your most favourable reply. What is it to be?"

Jessica lowered her head and mumbled something unintelligible. Magor stared at her and she looked at him, glaring defiantly and said clearly. "I accept your offer."

Toby didn't seem to register what Jessica had said. He gave Magor a smug look which, to his surprise, was reciprocated. Until he looked at Jessica, who was quietly sobbing, he didn't understand why Magor looked so pleased with himself. "No..." he whispered, not wanting to believe it.

"I'm sorry!" Jessica sobbed. "I had to, he was going to kill you and I-I couldn't let that happen! Not to you! Please try to understand, Toby! I have to protect you; that's why I'm doing this."

By this time, both of them were sobbing. Jessica hoped that Nick remembered this part in her plan. Sure enough, light was beginning to surround Toby. He shook his head, murmuring under his breath and stared at her pleadingly.

As he began to fade away, he heard a whispered "I love you." and that was the last time he saw her.

Nick looked up as Toby materialised in front of him and Lucas. "Toby, I-" he started to say as his brother marched toward him, looking angrier than Nick had ever seen him before.

Suddenly he found himself having to duck as Toby threw a punch at him. "How could you? I could have helped her!" Nick didn't even try to defend himself. He felt like he deserved it; he was an idiot, how could this plan ever work?

"Whoa!" Lucas grabbed hold of Toby before he could beat Nick to a pulp. "What's going on?" He was confused. As far as he knew, Toby and Nick had never fought like this before.

"Ask him!" Toby snapped before storming out of the room. "I'll never forgive you for this!" He yelled as the door slammed shut behind him.

"What does he mean by that?" Lucas turned to address Nick who hung his head, looking ashamed and almost...guilty.

"I-I may have influenced Jessica's decision." he said quietly. Lucas fixed him with a "I can't believe you'd be stupid enough to do that and think there'd be no consequences" look.

"What?" he asked incredulously, wondering if he had heard right.

"It's all my fault, Lucas!" Nick yelled, sounding distraught. "I put pressure on her because I didn't want her to make a choice that would hurt Toby! He's my brother and whether he appreciates it or not, I have to look out for him!"

Lucas looked disgusted. "By sacrificing his only chance at happiness?" When Nick didn't reply, he continued. "You know, he had everything planned out. After we graduated, he was planning on proposing. They'd have spent their honeymoon on a cruise. There would have been mini Tobys and Jessicas all over the house, or least two anyway. But, thanks to you, that's never going to happen."

Nick looked sad for a moment before looking at his friend. "Well, maybe he should be grateful." Lucas stared at him as though he couldn't believe they were even talking.

"Grateful to you? When you're the reason his heart, and Jessica's too, is smashing into pieces? I can't believe you'd think that!" Nick looked genuinely confused for the first time.

"I-I don't under-"

"They're soulmates, Nick! Just imagine how he must be feeling right now, knowing he'll never see her again!" Despite the severity of the situation, Lucas was surprised and a little angered to see Nick smiling. "What are you smiling about?" he demanded.

"That's where you're wrong, Lucas. That's where you're wrong." Nick said, still grinning gleefully. Lucas fixed him with an "I'm suspicious now and unless you tell me what is going on, I will not let you leave" look. Nick glanced around nervously. "I'll explain everything, okay? Right now, you need to trust me. One more thing: Toby cannot know about any of this." Before Lucas could so much as ask him why, he added as an afterthought. "I promised Jessica."

"Okay then. Explain...now."

AN: Sorry I couldn't update yesterday but my network was completely down and I couldn't get online. I hope you enjoy this chapter. If so, let me know what you liked and why. Thanks to all of you!


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jessica laid in her cell, pondering over what her life had become. Magor, Obscurio and Magmion all forced her to call them "Master." She hated every moment of what she was forced to do. Luckily for her, they only interacted with her when she had to satisfy their urges.

She would lay there, hour after hour, waiting to obey their every command, but that wasn't the worst of it. That happened once a week, every week (they'd made that perfectly clear). They would drag her into a chamber where a Lava Gormiti would extract a clear liquid from her arm. He would then pour it into a portal, explaining that it would turn red if they were successful, but it never did. Her "masters" would then forcefully take their frustrations out on her.

Every night, she would curl up, sore and broken, and think of Toby. He was the reason her will had not completely broken. She had to remind herself constantly that she was doing this to keep him safe. This particular night was no different. Looking down at her hand, she rubbed the stone in her hand and watched as it turned an orange colour...

Nick took a deep breath. He had no idea how to explain what Jessica had told him. "Well, I can only tell you what I know. Jessica came to me and told me that she had made her choice. As you know, she decided to accept Magor's proposition."

"Yeah, because you pressured her into making a decision!" Lucas exclaimed heatedly.

Nick shook his head, "I was just trying to look out for Toby. I wanted to make sure she didn't make a choice that would hurt him."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I can't imagine Jessica taking that lying down."

"She didn't," Nick said. "She got angry and said she had a p-" He trailed off suddenly and put his hands in his pockets, feeling around until his fingers closed over a small stone which was warm to the touch and when he brought it out, he saw that it had turned pink. "Jess?" he addressed the stone.

Lucas gave his friend a "you do know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, don't you?" look. "Um, Nick, do you mind telling me what's going on?" He started to ask, before gasping as the stone in Nick's hand glowed brightly and a projection formed from it.

"Jessica!" They both gasped, Lucas staring at the stone bewildered.

"What is this thing?" he asked, pointing to the stone.

Nick laughed. "It's a Communication Stone. It allows the user to communicate with anyone else who possesses one." As if to prove his point, Jessica held up a stone that was identical to Nick's, except it was glowing orange.

"It's good to see you guys." Jessica told them, wincing slightly as she shifted to get more comfortable. Her face then grew serious. "How is he?"

Lucas and Nick exchanged looks. "He's changed..." Nick admitted slowly. "Most days he stays shut in his room. He barely eats or sleeps, just looks at our photo album. To be honest, I'm starting to get worried. It's like he's given up on living."

"This is all my fault!" Jessica exclaimed, sounding like she was about to cry. Lucas could tell that she probably felt the same way as Toby, only she had to hide her despair.

"So Nick mentioned something about you having a plan?" he asked curiously.

Jessica's head snapped up and she nodded slowly. "I'll only stay here for a couple of weeks. I'll pretend to be totally under their control and go to attack you. Then it'll be your job to defeat Magor and get me out of there."

"That's a bit risky, Jess-wait, how are we supposed to do that?" Nick began, before Lucas interrupted him. Jessica shrugged her shoulders.

"You guys will have to figure that yourselves. One more thing: don't tell Toby. If they find out about my plan, I don't want them to hurt him just to get to me. We have to do all we can to protect him. Promise me?"

They both nodded. She looked around anxiously, before waving. "I'm gonna have to go now. If I'm not in peak condition in the morning, I'll be the one to suffer." The projection faded away slowly.

"Well, that answered a few questions," Lucas commented. "But it also gave us some more." He turned and saw that Toby had walked in. Immediately he noticed the changes in his friend's demeanour.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked his brother cautiously, not wanting to say anything too risky. Lucas found it unsurprising when Toby chose to not answer. After all, how would he ever be okay without Jessica?

Unfazed by his brother's unusually cold attitude, Nick continued, "Jessica wouldn't want you to give up. She'd want you to live."

Toby angrily spun round and grabbed Nick by the collar. "I can't live without her! You wouldn't understand! She's all I think about, day and night, and it kills me inside because I know I'm never going to see her smile, hear her laugh or hold her in my arms again!"

As Nick opened his mouth to speak, Lucas silently willed him to shut up. "Look, we miss her just as much as you do."

"Really?" Toby asked coldly. "Then how come you aren't being plagued with painful memories? How come you're still happy?" Before they could reply, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"You were right, Nick. He has changed!" Lucas exclaimed. Neither of them had a clue what to do to make Toby's life easier. All they could do was wait until Jessica executed her plan and hope that it worked because the only way they would get the old Toby back would be to get Jessica back.

It all depended on them.

AN: Sorry for not being able to update but I am really busy now because of school, as I'm sure many of you are. So here's a new chapter to make up and once again, I'm sorry! Please review!


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

AN: Sorry I haven't updated for a while but I was really busy last weekend so I didn't have time to write. I hope you understand. Just a bit of warning: I might not be able to update on the week of 8th-15th December because I have mock exams all week (including on my birthday. How fun).

AN #2: Just in case any of you are confused, this chapter takes place approximately two weeks after the last one. Also if any of you have any requests for a new Fanfiction or you want to tell me what you think of this chapter, then let me know in a review!

Toby sat against his door, head in his hands. _If only Jessica could see you like this now, _he thought miserably_. _He still hadn't come to terms with why she had chosen to accept Magor's proposition. In fact, he didn't understand anything anymore. Nothing made any sense, not while Jessica wasn't there.

Sighing, he moved toward his bed before flopping onto it. His efforts at pretending to be indifferent about everything had exhausted him and soon he found himself in a fitful sleep.

_**1st dream (Toby's POV)**_

_**Volcano Mountain, huh? Not exactly a place among my favourites. I walk along the familiar path, dread in the pit of my stomach. Let's just say, this isn't the first time. I've visited this place in my dreams. Or should that be nightmares?**_

_**When I see her, my body reacts before my voice does and I move towards her. She's here, waiting for me. Something is wrong though. She does not react when I lay my hand on her shoulder. Her attention is obviously elsewhere. A little bit miffed, I open my mouth indignantly.**_

_**Suddenly she turns around and I see what, or rather who, has her interest. She is holding a child, a little girl with flaming-red hair and pale skin. The child's eyes open and she stares at me with pure hatred, her eyes burning flames into me. This child is evil and Jessica has been pulled in. I scream myself hoarse as Jessica looks lovingly at the child before they both turn to stare at me with identical blood-red eyes...**_

_**2nd Dream (still Toby's POV)**_

_**I'm laid in the Temple of Light. The brightness hurts my eyes and I don't want to open them but I hear a voice calling my name. A familiar voice, a voice I thought I'd never hear again...**_

_**"S-Supreme Luminous?" I whisper disbelievingly. How is this even possible? I cautiously open one eye then the other. The sight of him standing in front of me looking exactly the same as he had the day he had left Gorm elicited a gasp from me.**_

_**"It is I, Lord of Water. I am here to help you." He moves toward me and places his hand on my shoulder. I find myself explaining everything, talking more in the space of five minutes then I've done all week. He stands and listens, not interrupting. Somehow this makes me feel a lot better, now that I've got everything out of my system.**_

_**" Can you help me rescue her?" I plead." She's my soul mate and-"**_

_**"I know, Lord." He informs me, looking amused. "There was always an obvious connection between the two of you, although you failed to notice it yourselves until-"**_

_**"Obscurio's eclipse." I say quietly and he nods.**_

_Flashback (Toby's POV)_

_Obscurio had blasted us where we stood and now all four of us were falling down into a pit of lava. We all scream and yell as we try desperately to halt our descent._

_" Geo Drill!" Nick yells, using his drill arm to grab on the edge, clinging to it for dear life. He looks down in horror as Lucas falls past him and cries," No!"_

_Looking up, I see that Lucas is now safe; he had successfully attached himself to Nick using his creepers. I breath a sigh of relief before a scream steals my attention and I look down._

_Jessica is below me, still falling fast. I was held in place by Lucas and we all clung to the edge. Almost instinctively, I grab hold of her with my tentacles and she gasps as she abruptly comes to a halt._

_As Nick begins the painstakingly slow climb towards firm ground, Jessica suddenly opens her eyes. For a moment, we simply gazed into each other's eyes. She was safe and, somehow in that moment, that was all that mattered to me. The thought of her being hurt terrified me. I didn't know why I suddenly felt this way but something had just happened between us. I wondered if she had felt it too._

_**End of Flashback **_

_**" I think that's when I started to notice that things were changing between us," I told Supreme Luminous. "Although I think things had been changing between us for a while." **_

_**He regards me solemnly. "I cannot tell you everything that will occur but you will have your deepest desire, your most desperate wish but you must trust those close to you." **_

_**"W-Wait!" I cry out. "What do you mean?" **_

_**"Farewell." He says as he fades away slowly.**_

_**End of Dream (Normal POV)**_

Toby woke up panting. He had no idea what Supreme Luminous meant. He gathered that he would work it out in the morning. However, just as he was about to go back to sleep, it hit him. "Those you're close to...of course! Why didn't I think of it before?"

Exhilarated by his epiphany, Toby sped out of his room, not caring that it was five in the morning, and practically broke down Nick's bedroom door in his haste to get inside. Nick and Lucas, who was staying over, both gasped and stared at him apprehensively.

"If you guys have a plan, then I'm in!" He didn't give them chance to question him but left the room as quickly as possible, hoping that their plan would work, if they even had a plan.

Nick and Lucas exchanged confused looks." What was that all about?" Lucas questioned.

" No idea." Nick shrugged, before yelping as his fingers brushed over something hot. He grinned and curled them around the offending object. Rubbing it in his hand, they both expectantly looked up. The projection took a painfully long time to form but when it was complete, Jessica was staring at them, a look of determination on her face.

"Tomorrow." She stated calmly as though starting to announce the weather forecast.

"Tomorrow!" They both yelped.

"Jess, are you sure?" Nick questioned. He hadn't thought of a definite plan to get Jessica back.

"It's going to be too risky to wait." she told him solemnly. "Just be ready tomorrow, all of you, okay?" They both nodded as the projection slowly faded away.

"Well," Lucas said, trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere. "Looks like we'd better get our game faces on!" Nick nodded; whether they were ready or not, Operation Rescue Mission on Cost of Life or Death (the name was Lucas' idea) was a-go.

They couldn't afford even a single mistake...

AN: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, I'm sorry for being bad at updating. Please review anyway and let me know what you think.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jessica walked toward the main chamber, anticipation fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Fixing an expression of absolute loyalty on her face, she walked forward towards her "master."

Magor turned around as she approached." Ah, you are here, ready to serve your master's willing." Jessica lowered her head to indicate respect.

"I am yours to command, Master." she said, raising her head to look at him.

Magor laughed evilly. "Excellent. I command you to kill the other Lords of Nature, make them beg for mercy."

Jessica hastily stifled the involuntary gasp she released and kept her expression indifferent as she said quietly,"As you wish, Master." She bowed once more before flying out of the volcano.

Magmion and Obscurio approached Magor, both of them wearing identical expressions of confusion. "Master, what exactly are you-er, what's your plan?" Magmion asked, completely puzzled.

"She needs to prove her loyalty to us," Magor told them. "What better way to do that than for her to kill those she once called her friends?" Obscurio and Magmion exchanged glances.

"Should we follow her, Master?" Obscurio questioned, frowning. When Magor shook his head, Magmion moved forward as though to protest but Obscurio held him back.

"Not yet. Do not worry, Magmion, she will not disobey. She is loyal to us and only us!" Magor laughed evilly, the pure genius of his plan greater than he'd imagined.

Magmion and Obscurio both bowed. "It will be as you desire, Master."

In Venture Falls, Toby's temper had improved somewhat now that he knew Nick and Lucas had a plan to rescue Jessica. He neither knew or cared what the plan actually was. All he wanted was for the plan to work so he would have Jessica back.

"Come on, Toby! There's trouble in Gorm!" Nick yelled, as he and Lucas ran past, collecting their elements. Toby shrugged before running the tap and collecting the water that ran from it. After they transformed, the familiar light gated them to Gorm...

Jessica stood in the middle of Lava territory, surrounded by Lava Gormiti. She had persuaded them to act as though they had caught her trying to escape. She sighed, hoping that her plan would work.

Toby, Nick and Lucas landed in the Earth Nation capital. Lucas looked around, puzzled. "What's the problem here exactly? The whole Earth Nation seems pretty calm to me and there isn't any sign of trouble."

Nick looked thoughtful. "I say we ask around. There must be a reason we gated here." An Earth Gormiti approached them. "See?" he added. "Looks like we're about to get some answers."

"Welcome, Lords of Nature!" the Earth Gormiti greeted. "This is indeed a pleasant surprise! Come join us for some rock soup."

Nick shook his head. "Thank you, brother, but we're here to stop whatever plan the Lava Gormiti have cooked up."

The Earth Gormiti looked confused. "Well, whatever this plan is, it has nothing to do with the Earth Nation. We haven't had a Lava Gormiti attack for a while."

"So if the Earth Gormiti aren't the ones in danger," Lucas began.

"Then who exactly are we meant to be helping?" Nick finished.

Suddenly a sharp scream cut through the air. "No! Leave me alone! Help!"

Lucas gasped and turned toward Nick and Toby. "That sounded like-"

"Jessica!" Toby yelled, running toward the screams. Nick and Lucas looked at each other before following.

Jessica backed into a corner, acting as though she genuinely feared for her life. "So you thought you could escape, hmm?" the Lava Gormiti sneered, a few of them laughing.

"Get away from her!" Inside, Jessica's heart leapt as she heard a voice she thought she'd never hear again. She forced the emotion out of her face and moved forward when the Lava Gormiti had been dispatched.

"Jess!" Lucas said happily. "Man, are we glad to see you!"

"Lightning Bolts!" Jessica yelled, the bolts of electricity sending all three of them flying.

Nick winced with pain. "Jessica, what are you doing? We're your friends, remember?" He stood up with difficulty and moved toward her, Toby and Lucas doing the same.

"You are no friends of mine!" Jessica let out a laugh that was reminiscent of the one Toby had used whilst possessed by Obscurio.

" What are we going to do?" Toby asked. "We can't attack Jessica!" He turned round and saw Lucas and Nick backing up.

"That is now the least of your problems, Lord of Water!" Magor announced, laughing evilly. "Grab him!" he yelled. Obscurio flew forward and grabbed Toby who, at first struggled but stopped when Magor made the motions of hurling a lava ball at Jessica.

"Toby!" Nick and Lucas yelled frantically.

"Sorry, the Lord of Water is unable to take your call. I, however, can give you my master's message!" Magmion yelled before starting a barrage of attacks upon them.

Magor laughed evilly as he approached Toby. "Ironic, isn't it, Lord of Water? Your love is what brought you here and your love is what will destroy you."

Toby glared at Magor with intense hatred. "You never intended to let me live, did you? You just wanted us both to suffer before you killed me. Well, enough! You can do what you want with me but let her go!"

"You make it sound as though I have a conscience." Magor jeered. "Kill him!"

Jessica moved forward, energy in her hands. Toby gazed directly into her eyes, wanting to see her one last time before he died. His eyes met her sky-blue ones, the eyes that were, in his opinion, the most beautiful he'd ever seen.

She stopped and placed her head in her hands as an internal struggle began. She could feel Toby's love for her chipping away at her false indifference. Suddenly she spun round and faced Magor. "No!" she yelled, extinguishing the energy she held in her hands.

Magor glared at her incredulously. "You dare to disobey me?"

Jessica glared right back. "Yes, I dare! I will not kill the person I love with all my heart!" Toby looked at her in shock. She looked at him momentarily and smiled. "On Earth, they say that love is the strongest power of all. I didn't believe it until now because it was our love for each other that brought me back to my senses. You can't control me now because, together as one, we are too strong to fight!"

Magor created a ball of fire and hurled it at Jessica. Toby threw Obscurio off him and leapt in front of Jessica. "Sea Shield!" he yelled, protecting both himself and Jessica from the fiery blast.

"Come on!" Nick yelled as he and Lucas rushed past a defeated Magmion. "Now's our chance!" All four of them surrounded Magor, each of them glowing their own elemental colour, Toby and Jessica linking hands.

"For the power of the light!" The foursome used their vortex attacks before hurling their own elemental light at Magor. He yelled as the ground cracked open beneath him and, before he could do or say anything, fell into the newly created slip-rift.

The Lords of Nature all breathed sighs of relief. "Well, that's one less evil to mess things up!" Lucas said optimistically. "Let's head to the Temple so we can tell Old Sage and Razzle the good news." The others nodded in agreement and they used their medallions to gate to the Temple of Light, Toby holding Jessica tightly as though he never wanted to let her go.

As the light surrounded them and beamed them toward the Temple, there was one recurring thought in their heads

**_Would this be it? Would they finally have peace? Would they be free to love, unburdened by the challenges that stood in their way?_**

AN: Well, guys, we're coming up to the end of a journey. There should be only two more chapters after this one. If you enjoyed this chapter then let me know what you think. Tell me which chapter so far is your favourite and why. Also, if you have any ideas you'd like me to write then just let me know. Thanks so much for being so supportive! You really are the best!


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